


To All The Places I've Never Been

by VampAmber



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adorable, Airports, Alternate Universe - Human, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Background Relationships, Barista Castiel (Supernatural), Barista Charlie Bradbury, Castiel Has Self-Worth Issues (Supernatural), Charlie Bradbury & Castiel Friendship, Charlie Bradbury Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Civilian Pilot Dean Winchester, Complete, First Kiss, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Gay Castiel (Supernatural), Good Friend Charlie Bradbury, M/M, Meet-Cute, Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, One Shot, Pointless, Poor Castiel (Supernatural), Proud Dean Winchester, Short & Sweet, Smooth Dean Winchester, Starbucks, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27452869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampAmber/pseuds/VampAmber
Summary: Castiel has always wished that he could travel the world and see all the beauty and adventure awaiting him. Working at Starbucks for minimum wage, though, usually makes travel like that way too expensive and impossible. And working at said Starbucks in anairportonly adds insult to injury.Maybe the cute green-eyed pilot that just ordered some coffee can sweep him away from here?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 10
Kudos: 131





	To All The Places I've Never Been

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, whatever I'm eating or drinking or doing that's letting me write so much in the past few days, I need to figure it out and do it constantly. Cuz holy crap, so much fics! I really actually do love it when I see that I'm making a lot of people. I'm a dork that way, kinda like Misha.
> 
> Also, I should warn you guys. Until I recover from s15e18 "Despair", I will only be writing and posting fluff. No smut, no angst, nothing but fluff, and absolutely no canon-verse. I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys feel the same right now.
> 
> **P.S.** Most of the time, coming up with a summary is usually harder than writing the entire story. -_-

Castiel sighed as he looked down at the wallpaper on his phone. This time it was a gorgeous lake in the winter, with canoes in bright colors. Last week, it had been a secluded beach with sand so white it didn't look real, and water so clear you could see the bottom as far as the picture had gone. Next week, it would be yet another beautiful place that he would probably never be able to afford to visit.

You would think that working in an airport would mean that he would constantly be flying off to vacation in exotic locales, but it didn't quite work that way. Well, it didn't if you were stuck working at the Starbucks for minimum wage. Mind you, in this economy he was glad to have a job at all, especially with at least a little bit of job security, but it only just paid for his rent, bills, and food. In Chicago, everything was expensive, so his bank account was always close to empty after all his financial responsibilities were taken care of.

So Castiel once again sighed, the sad lament of places he could never go, and adventures he could never have.

He was shaken out of his melancholic musings when his co-worker and best friend Charlie called out to him. "Hey, Cas, customer coming in," she told him, as she carried what looked like an impossible amount of drinks to the pick up area for the large group of college kids that he knew, from listening in on them as they excitedly, and loudly, discussed their year abroad that they were heading for, were on their way to another wonderful place he'd never see.

Castiel would've sighed again, having worked himself into a pretty low mood by now, if the hottest guy he had ever seen hadn't just walked up to the cashier area. He rushed over, hoping that he looked okay. Well, as good as a person could while wearing an apron that was currently stained from the cold hot chocolate smoothie he'd served to a very clumsy little girl earlier in his shift. Though the guy looked way too hot to be into someone boring like him, so it's not like there was any point worrying in the first place.

Castiel forced all his crappy mood thoughts out of his brain, then smiled at the customer. Tall and model level attractive, he smiled back, green eyes the color of spring and sunshine and... Castiel really needed to focus.

"Sorry, my brain's just kinda..." Castiel trailed off, realizing how stupid he probably sounded. Maybe he should see that therapist his sister suggested at Thanksgiving.

The customer just chuckled. "I get that. It's definitely the kind of day for all kinds of brain wandering." As if his voice wasn't swoon-able enough, he flashed that grin again that made Castiel feel a bit weak in the knees.

Castiel chuckled back, not really needing to fake friendliness, this guy being so damn delicious. "What can I get for you today?" He asked, months of training kicking in so he could be Customer Service Man. Or, you know, something less weird sounding. Ugh.

"A tall, or a is it a venti, or a..." The hottie customer sounded confused over the different words for sizing, a very common problem. Must be his first time visiting the Starbucks empire. Finally, he just shrugged, giving up. "Whatever a large black coffee is."

Castiel smiled even bigger, because the confusion had only made the guy cuter. "Yeah, we can do that." Wait, was he flirting? It was entirely unintentional, but hopefully it didn't weird the guy out, like it would some of those super duper straight guy types.

"Awesome," the unfairly hot guy replied, handing over his cash, putting a five dollar bill from his change into the tips jar.

Castiel's brain was starting to go into full meltdown by now, but he was at least able to sputter out one word. "Name?" He was so nervous by now, his hand was a bit slippery as he held the black Sharpie to the cup.

The customer leaned on the counter, giving out flirting vibes that were strong enough to kill a moose. "Dean," he said, drawing it out. "Dean Winchester. Great to meet you," Dean paused for a second to look at the plastic name badge on the apron, "Cas." He winked before heading to the pick up end of the counter.

Castiel's heart stopped for a few weeks or so, with a heavy thump. He finally managed to shake himself out of it, though there were still a few nervous giggles before he was completely back to being a person. His hand shook as he put the cup down, staring at the squiggled _Dean_ written on it.

"Cas, are you okay? Do I gotta call 911? Did you have some kind of brain aneurysm?" Charlie asked when she noticed him standing there, freaking out.

"No, I, uhh..." Castiel still couldn't speak properly, because he could still see Dean at the other end of the counter, now talking on his cell phone.

Charlie's face brightened up immediately. "Wait, you've got a heart boner for him, don't you? Did the heavens part and the angels sing?" She was mostly kidding, but all Castiel could do was nod.

"He wants a large black coffee," Castiel muttered as he slowly came back to Earth.

"I'll get it, you go flirt with your Disney prince," Charlie offered, which Castiel was extremely grateful for.

When Castiel reached Dean, he got another smile and a little wink. "So," Dean said smoothly, "what time's your next break?" 

"Now," Charlie said before Castiel got a chance to respond. "His break is now, and he can take as long as he wants," she continued, pushing Castiel out from behind the counter while simultaneously giving Dean his coffee. "And if he tries to come back too soon, I'll send him right back out again," she added, knowing just how shy and awkward Castiel usually was around guys he was attracted to.

Dean laughed and led the semi-broken barista to one of the few tables, over by the edge of the designated Starbucks area. Castiel sat down mechanically, making Dean laugh again. "Wait, are you okay?" He asked after he stopped laughing, now deservedly concerned by Castiel's reactions.

Castiel's brain finally kicked back in, though only because he didn't want to worry Dean. "Yeah, I just kinda suck at flirting," he admitted, punctured with a nervous laugh. "And being flirted with, and recognizing most flirting, and seeing guys that are anywhere near as hot as you…" Oops, too much information.

But Dean just smiled, and if Castiel didn't know any better he'd say there was a tiny bit of a blush on Dean's cheeks. "Well, I gotta say, I've never been told how hot I was like that, but I'm definitely flattered, and I was definitely flirting."

Castiel squeaked, honest to god _squeaked_ , but the expression on Dean's face didn't change, and in fact looked a little bit more enamored. This was usually where the guys tended to remember they had a thing they had to do elsewhere, or just left without even bothering to be nice by lying. The ones who weren't scared off earlier by his anxiety and social awkwardness. "Yeah, fine, just super nervous because I have anxiety, and, umm."

Before Castiel could even form the apology in his head, Dean nodded in understanding. "My little brother, Sam, has the same thing. He almost had to take an extended break from college when he was twenty, but he found a great therapist who helped him, so now he's a happily married lawyer with two daughters, and a son on the way." The way Dean talked about his brother, you could tell how proud he was, and that made Castiel's crush just a wee bit bigger. "He's the one on the phone, actually. I'm visiting for a few weeks so I can meet my new nephew when he's born, and I wanted him to know the flight went just fine."

"That's really great for you, and for him, too," Castiel replied, already feeling a lot more comfortable with Dean, probably because it was obvious how much he cared about everything. "Did your flight come in earlier?"

"Actually, I was the pilot," Dean admitted. "Had my pilot's license for a while now." And now Castiel could see the pride Dean had in his own work. Then again, it sounded a lot more fulfilling than being an awkward, anxious coffee peddler in an airport, so he could easily understand.

"What about you?" Dean asked, sounding completely genuine. "What makes an attractive guy like you work in an airport coffee shop, flirting with the customers? There's gotta be a story behind this."

Castiel blushed, actually feeling comfortable with Dean now, something he usually only felt around his family and Charlie. He really hoped this didn't end too soon, that maybe he could stay in contact with Dean. But for now, he only needed to answer the question. "I earned a degree in English without thinking about what kind of job I could find after graduating. I didn't want to teach because I'm not really good with people or big groups, and since that's about the only thing that pays well with a degree like that, I've mostly been getting minimum wage jobs to pay the rent, until I can find something else, something real." There was something about Dean that made Castiel want to tell him things. Maybe it was because he seemed to listen completely, a rare talent any more. But no matter the reason, he was officially gone on the pilot in front of him. Gone and probably not coming back any time soon.

Dean looked like he was about to say something, when his phone beeped. "Sorry," he said as he dug the phone out of his pocket. "Got a text," he unnecessarily explained, holding up his phone while making a goofy face. Then he checked the phone and his grin faded. "Crap, my brother's made a reservation at some froofy sounding restaurant, and I need to leave now if I want to wear clean clothes. I am so freaking sorry, Cas." Dean looked sincere in his disappointment, but Castiel's heart sunk anyway.

He at least had enough in him to smile, even if it was fake (thank you, customer service jobs). "No, it's okay, I get it," Castiel said, using every bit of his inner strength to not sound hurt. At least Dean had been one of the ones nice enough to give an excuse before leaving.

"Really am sorry, though, Cas," Dean repeated. He looked indecisive for a minute, before finally smiling. "I know it's a bit fast, but would you maybe want to, I dunno, go on a date at some point?" He asked, holding his phone out to Castiel. "We can exchange numbers, and I can call you. Or you could call me. One of those two." Suave Dean was now gone, replaced by awkward Dean, and Castiel started to wonder if it was too soon to fall in love.

"Yes, yes, of course," Castiel fumbled out, as he fumbled with his own phone. "That'd be great, awesome, yes," he babbled, happier than he'd been in a long time.

They exchanged phones, and after Castiel finished typing his number in, it went back to Dean's wallpaper. It was a photo of a tall guy with a dark haired woman next to him, with two little girls that looked like a toddler and a preschooler, age-wise. He didn't even need to ask who they were. Dean glanced over and saw what Castiel was looking at. "That's Sam and his wife, Eileen, and his two girls. And the bump on Eileen's stomach is my new nephew." Dean practically glowed, he was so proud.

Castiel sat there, just letting it all in, while Dean was finishing up. Then he held up the phone, showing the wallpaper that Castiel had been sighing over wistfully less than an hour ago. "This place looks incredible, what was it like there?"

Castiel blushed, heading right back to awkward mode. "It's actually just a picture I found online," he confessed. "I've never really traveled much."

It only took a moment for Dean to read the sad look on Castiel's face. "And you want to? Travel, I mean?"

Castiel smiled, a bit wobbly. "Yes, more than anything," he said. "I want to see the world and have adventures and just… be somewhere else, you know?" It was hard to hold back the emotion as he said it, but he could tell that Dean understood completely.

"I know exactly how you feel," Dean said, then smiled bigger than any of the other ones he'd given Castiel so far. "I felt that way, growing up in middle of nowhere, Kansas. It's why I got my pilot's license, and why I scrimped and saved until I could buy my own plane and have my own business, about three years ago."

It took a few seconds for Castiel's brain to realize just what that meant. "Your own plane? Does that mean you can go anywhere?" Even though it seemed a bit too entitled, if what he was thinking didn't happen, Castiel's heart was going to break.

Dean grinned even bigger, somehow. "Yeah, Cas, anywhere I want." Dean then grabbed Castiel's hand and intertwined their fingers, which just felt so freaking right. "Maybe for our first date, I can take you up with me?" Dean suggested, and as much as Castiel really, really liked Dean, it was only then that the heavens parted and the angels sang.

There was so much good coming at him so quickly that he was only able to say "Yes, please."

Dean took his hand back, and they both stood up to say goodbye, hopefully not for the last time. "So, I'll call you," Dean said, a bit of a blush tinging his cheeks again.

"Yeah," Castiel replied eloquently.

"I, uhh…" Dean trailed off, as if he was asking a question but decided for himself. Then he leaned in for a kiss, hesitantly in case it wasn't wanted. But dear god it was wanted, and Castiel met him half way. It was an innocent kiss, but it was definitely the best one he'd ever had.

When they pulled apart, Dean awkwardly waved his fingers. "Bye," he said, a little breathlessly.

"Bye," Castiel said back. He watched Dean as he made his way out of the food court area, then turned around to see Charlie leaning back in a chair, a drink in hand and a couple cookies on a plate next to her.

"What? We didn't have popcorn," she told Castiel, and they both laughed. "But anyway, can I be in the wedding?"

"I think that might be too soon to think about, if it even happens at all for that matter," Castiel reminded her.

"My ass," Charlie said, then looked around quickly to make sure there weren't any customers around that could've heard that. "My ass," she repeated, much quieter this time to be safe. "You guys were so sickeningly adorable together that I almost had to toss these," she teased, pointing at her plate of, thankfully untossed, cookies.

Castiel could feel the tidal wave of red long before it hit his face. Was it possible to have a full body blush? Because if it were possible, he most likely had. Redder than humanly possible, he grabbed one of Charlie's cookies on the way back to behind the counter, where they were technically supposed to be. "Yeah, right," he said sarcastically, but it was weaker than the iced tea they sold after all the ice melted.

"Yeah, yeah," Charlie said, as she gathered up and brought her theater snacks with her to rejoin Castiel. "You're my new OTP, deal with it." At Castiel's confused head tilt, she explained. "One true pairing, basically my fave ship. And you two are it."

Castiel's pocket vibrated, only once to announce a text message. He pulled it out while sticking his tongue out at Charlie. He almost swallowed that same tongue when he saw the message.

** New Message **

**Dean (6:23pm):** Can't wait to see you again, Cas. ;)

"Oh my god, did he just text you?" Charlie yelped, before grabbing for the phone. When she saw the message, she squealed. "So cute!"

Castiel murmured a few sounds that were supposed to be word-like, then yanked the phone back. He typed his response quickly and put his phone back into his pocket, just in time for a very tired looking couple walking towards the register, dragging way too much baggage for it to be healthy. "Welcome to Starbucks, how can we help you today?"

**Me (6:25pm):** Me too, Dean. ;)

**Author's Note:**

> If I can ever come up with stories of the two of them traveling around the world, I might make this into a series, but don't hold your breath. I'm not even slightly joking when I say that I can only write when my brain lets me, and can only write what my brain is willing to give me. It seriously sucks when I want to do a sequel or make something into a series, or even work on a specific WIP, but I have no clue how to do it any other way. Sorry. 😢


End file.
